Little Bastards Car
Little Bastards Car
Owner: Jim Lindsay.
Crew: Al Rossback, Bob Lick, Jerry Stauffer & John Coute
Car: Marty Strode tube chassis w/swing arm. 180" wheelbase. Rear end: V/8 Ford quick change by Hotrod Works. Trans. 4-Speed Jerico air shifter. Motor: 1946 Ford 284" Dennis Murray prepared Flathead. 4 and 1/8' Scat rotating assembly. B/m Blower. Hand made girdle and scatter shield.
Records:
Bonneville Salt Flats
XFBGRMR Has held record twice at just under 180 mph
XGBFRMR Has held record once at just under 180 mph
El Mirage
XFBGRMR Holds record at just over 160 mph
See the following steps of building the Little Bastard land speed car.
Thanks goes to Marty Strode for the safe and speedy contraption. Marty is a metal wizard living near North Plains Oregon.
A master of his craft and a wonderful friend.
The Bonneville Salt Flats Runs
Speedweek August 2017 on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Drivers who have qualified for records the previous day converge early at the impound where they are released to try to back up their records with return runs. On this beautiful morning we are about to set the XXFBRMR record.
Having set the record with the return run we go to our individual offices for meditation before our all-crew meeting over a few Coors Lights; It’s gotta be 5 o'clock somewhere.
And now for the really good news. I’m here accepting the Bonneville 200 MPH hat from Dan Warner, BNI senior certification consultant. I made the 2-club and have stepped into the sophisticated world where a small group of men and women from around the world wear "The Hat." I’m very humbled by the honor, believe me. To qualify I had to set a record over 215 mph, a bar set by the BNI for my class: XXFBFRMR, which in my case is a replica of a 1923 Ford roadster powered by a supercharged 50 Mercury engine with souped up Arden ohv heads. We qualified on the first run at 220.8 mph - the most unbelievable ride I’ve ever experienced in my life. At 180 things begin to chance trying to push all that wind and keep the car going as straight as you can with your foot planted hard on the gas. From there to 220 you're just throwing yourself through the mile posts that jet by faster and faster. Then the end and the parachute comes out and pulls into your shoulders like you're suddenly pulling a plow. You coast for a mile and turn out, pull the fuel shut off and kill the magneto and roll in silence looking for the return road hidden in a scene straight out of the movie Dr. Zhivago; white as far as you can see. My crew met me with a lot of jubilation. It was their success too. The car was locked in impound waiting for the next morning early for return run and a shot at the record. I fell asleep knowing I would have to make another wild ride the next day. There are so many things that can go wrong. Just the slightest mechanical failure or driver’s error can do it. Next day I made a run of 215.81. Whew! Just enough to establish the record of 218.327 mph. Life is good.
Savor the moment
How sweet it is.
Back on the salt in September for the Utah Salt Flat Association meet. The track was rough and rutted during speed week so we came back for an attempt to raise the record to over 200 mph with the help of my crew: Jerry Stauffer, center, Al Rossback right with screw driver and Bob Lick left, white shirt and with the added wisdom from Ernie on the right and the two-hatted wizard Don Ferguson on the left. Also we had help from Marty Strode, not pictured, who built most of the car.
Les Davenport slips into the cockpit of the Treit and Davenport Target 550 car. Yea 550 mph! Not achieved yet though.
After Speed Week I slipped off to Alaska with my love, Kathie, where I spent much of the time personally editing the Little Bastards sequel, Swerve.
Now back home to a complete servicing of the car readying for the November meet at El Mirage dry lake in California where the whole thing starts over.
A picture of my car in roadster form digging up dirt at Californias El Mirage dry lake. Photo hangs in Black and White Saloon in Wendover Nevada. I set a record on this pass that still stands.
My Roadster becomes a Lakester
My Roadster becomes a Lakester
Well, fast forward to today and my Roadster has become a Lakester. Because Marty and I designed and built the car for a Blown Flathead, when we made the switch to the Ardun, it got extremely hard to work on.
There were more accessories, like the dry sump oil system, magneto location, and the need to move the fuel tank away from the flywheel area as well. So, we decided to lengthen the chassis from 170" wheel base to 189", and remain legal for the Roadster class, and build a Lakester body as well. Marty stretched the chassis by 12" between the roll cage and the engine, and another 7" in front of the drivers feet, for aesthetics, and balance.
